Method of making spring beard needles



June 4, 1940. G. T. BROBERD 'METHOD 0F MAKING SPRING BEARD NEEDLES Filed March 16, 1939 Patented June 4, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT GFF'ICE IVIETHOD '0F MAKING SPRING BARD NEEDLES Y Gustave Theodore Broberg, Torrington, Conn.,

assignor to The Torrington Company, Torrington, Conn., a corporation of Maine Application March 16, 1939, Serial No. 262,250

1 Claim. (Cl. 163-5) The invention relates to new and useful im- Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 1-1 of provements in the method of making spring Fig. 6; beard needles and the article produced thereby. Fig. S is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of An object of the invention is to provide a Fig. 7, and

Amethod of making spring beard needles whereby Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of 5 the end-of the beard is centered laterally over Fig. 6. the groove therefor by pressure properly applied In the carrying out of the improved method, a to the opposite sides ofthe head of the needle. wire isI straightened and cut to proper lengths for A further object of the invention is to provide producing a blank from which a needle is formed.

10 a method of making spring beard needles where- Such a blank is shown in Fig. 1 and is indicated 10 by the stem of the needle adjacent the hook is at I0. The blank is shaped so as to provide a stiiened by pressure applied tol that portion of reduced section II which is flattened on the face the stem so that the exing of the needle when side of the needle as indicated at I2. It is also the beard is pressed during the knitting operaflattened on the side faces thereof. During this tion is conned substantially to a exing of the shaping of the needle, a tapered portion I3 is 15 beard. formed between the supporting shank and this A still further object of the invention is to proreduced section II. The end of the blank is vide a spring beard needle which is accurately shaped so as to provide a blunt nose I4 which is dimensioned as to width of head, as viewed from to be the end of the beard. The shank portion the front or groove side, in the region of the is grooved as indicated at I5, This shaping of 20 hook and the portions of the beard and stem adthe blank in the manner above described may jacent the hook for a given gauge of needle. be accomplished in any Suitable way, such as by A still further object of the invention is to proswaging, milling, stretching and the like. After vide a spring beard needle wherein the flexing of the blank has been shaped as shown in Figures 2 the needle parts incident to the pressing of the and 3, then the side faces of the shank as viewed 25 beard is substantially confined to the beard porfrom the front or grooved end of the needle are tion. flattened as indicated at I6 and the end of the These and other objects will in part be obvious shank is bent approximately at right angles as and will in part be hereinafter more fully disindicated at I'I. This forms a supporting means closed. for the needle. These attened faces I6 gradu- 30 In the drawing which shows by way of illustraally merge into the full circular dimensions-l of tion the various steps in the forming of aspring the blank in the regions of the groove so that the beard needle by my improved method, and also yarn loop will slide freely along the needle. A11

the improved needle produced therebyburrs or sharp edges formed during swaging or Figure l. is a blank cut from a piece of wire milling are also removed. The reduced portion 35 from which the needle is to be formed; II is bent back upon itself to form a hook I9 and Fig. 2 is a front view of the needle blank after the beard 20. The beard 20 is crimped at 2|. the end portion thereof has been reduced and The beard is spaced away from the supporting flattened in the region which is to form the stem therefor, and the end I4 is normally spaced beard, the hook and the supporting stem thereaway from the groove formed in the shank. 40 for, and after the end of the reduced portion has When the beard is pressed upon, the nose end I4 been shaped so as to provide a blunt end for moves into the groove to allow the loop to pass the beard and the shank has been grooved; over the same. 'Ihe method steps followed up to Fig. 3 is a side view of the same; this point in the making of the needle are the Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing usual well-known steps in the forming of spring 45 the blank bent to form the beard and hook, also beard needles. the body of the blank flattened and the shank The needle with the beard, hook and groove end bent to provide a supporting means for the formed therein as above described, is subjected needle; to pressure at the side faces of the head of the Fig. 5 is a side view of the needle shown in Fig. needle to a sufiicientdegree so as to re-form the 50 4 metal slightly. The pressure may be applied by Fig. 6 is an enlarged side view of the head of hammering, squeezing. rolling,A 01 in any other the needle after it has been subjected to pressuitable way. This results in a flattened face 23 sure suiciently to slightly flatten the side faces of in the region of the hook, a flattened face 24 which the head; A extends substantially from the hook to a point 55 adjacent the groove l5, and a flattened face 25 along the beard which extends from the hook to a point approaching the crimped end thereof. This pressure is applied to both sides of the needle head as viewed from the front or grooved side of the needle. Several advantages are obtained by this re-forming pressure applied to the sides of the needle. When the blank is bent to form the beard, it often happens that the end of the beard is not centered laterally over the groove. As a result, the needles have to be very closely inspected, and the beard bent or shifted so as to properly center the same. This inspecting and positioning of the beard is usually performed after the hardening of the n eedle and is a manual operation. When, however, the needle head is subjected to pressure in the regions described above, the end of the beard will be centered laterally over the groove and will remain in such cento the side faces of the beard distributes the ilexing strains incident to the closing of the beard so that it moves more rapidly to open position, which is of advantage in high speed machines.

When the blank is bent to form the beard, the metal at the inner side of the hook indicated at [9a in Figures 5 and 6, bulges laterally slightly, due to the compressing of the metal at the inner side of the blank. When the head, however, is subjected to this pressure at the opposite sides thereof, the head of the hook: is accurately dimensoned so that it may be of substantially uniform width in the-region of the hook, and in adjacent portions of the supporting stem and beard. 'Ihis accurate and positive dimensioning of the needle head as to width after forming the beard is of special importance on iiner gauge needles.

This pressing operation on the side faces of the needle head is performed after the shaping of the needle and the forming of the beard and prior to the hardening operation to which needles of this type are subjected. The extent to which the side faces of the head of the needle are attened is relatively slight, but yet sufcient so as to accomplish an accurate dimensioning of the width of the needle and a change in the section modulus of the stem and beard so as to stiften and strengthen the same in the manner described.

The method which has been described above produces a needle wherein the beard is centered laterally over the groove during the formation of the needle prior to the hardening of the same. It also produces a needle which is very accurately dimensioned as to width of the head, both when viewed from the front side or at right angles thereto. The advantages accomplished by this accurate dimensioning of the needle and the strengthening of the same in the regions stated are obvious and need not be described in detail.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The method of making spring beard needles comprising shaping a blank so as to form a needle having a hook, a beard and a groove adapted to receive the end of the beard when pressed, and simultaneously applying pressure to the needle, after it is formed, at the opposite side faces of the hook, the beard and the stern between .the hook and the groove, for reforming the metal therein sufficiently for accurately dimensioning the same as to width as viewed from the face on the grooved side thereof and so as to position and set the end of the beard laterally centrally over the groove.

GUSTAVE THEODORE BROBFRG.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTIION.

Patent No. 2,202,915. Juneh, 19140-,

GUSTAVE 'I'HEODORE BRQBERG.

It is hereby certified that kerror appeers in the above numbered -patent lrequiring correction as follows: Inthe headig to the drafwing, name of inventor; for "G. T. BROBERD ead G. T. BROBERG; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of .the case in the Patent Office.

Signed :ind sealed this 50th day of' July, A. D. 191+O.

Hem-y Van Arsdale,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

